Strip for forming conduit supports



' Aug. 4, 1942. H. R. ELLINWOOD STRIP FOR FORMING CONDUIT SUPPORTS FiledMarch 30, 1940 Patented Aug. 4, 1942 STRIP FOR FORMING CONDUIT SUPPORTSHerman Ray Ellinwood, Burbank, Calif., assignor to Adel PrecisionProducts Corporation, Burbank, CaliL, a corporation oi California IApplication March 30, 1940, Serial No. 326,994

6 Claims.

This inventionrelates to the. construction of supports or conduits-ofthe character set forth in the United States Letters Patent of Paul W.

Adler, Number 2,227,528 issued January 7, 1941,

for .Conduit support, and Number 2,215,283, issued September 17, 1940,.for .Line supporting clip," and which conduit supports are especiallyapplicable for use in the construction of air craft as a. means forresiliently supporting metallic conduits employed in conducting fluids,such as the oil and fuel lines, air lines, and electrical cur rentconductors, and where it is desirable to effect electrical grounding ofthe conduits in a fashion to prevent the accumulation of static inelectricity in the conduits.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction in a resilient and electrically conductive strip forforming conduit supports, whereby a flexible strip, formed of resilientcushioning material such as rubber,

rubber composition, or synthetic rubber composition such as "Neoprene"or the like, may be fltted on opposite sidesthereof with electricallyconductive strips and in a fashion whereby the electrically conductivestrips are electrically connected together at close intervals along thelength of the flexible and resilient strip imposed therebetween, wherebyadequate electrical grounding of one or more metallic conduits carriedin a support formed of the strip will be ef-- I fected.

Another object is to provide 'a mode of constructing a combinedcushioning and electrically conductive ribbon such as to facilitateproduction thereof and also in a fashion to facilitate conversion of theribbon into conduit supporting devices.

With the foregoing objects inview, together with such other objects andadvantages as may subsequently appear, the invention is carried intoefl'ect as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a length formed strip:

Fig. 2 is a detail in longitudinal section taken of the on the line 2-4of Fig. 1;

her of mounting the strip to form a conduit supporting clip;

Fig. 9 isa detail in cross section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8?

Fig. 10 isa perspective view depicting the manner of assembling thestrip informing a barlike support for a plurality of parallel conduits;

the

Fig. 11 is a detail in cross section taken on the line li-|l of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawing more specifically ll indicates generally aribbon or length of flexible resilient material such as rubber, rubbercomposition, synthetic rubber, and compositions thereof, such asNeoprene" or the like.

As here shown the ribbon II is formed on its longitudinal margins withparallel flanges I! which flanges are formed on their outer margins wihinturned flanges I 3 the inner margins of which are spaced apart and theinner faces of which are spaced from the adjacent face of the main wallportion H of the ribbon to provide the ribbon with opposed inwardlyopening mar ginal channels l5 as particularly shown in Fig.

Arranged on the opposite faces of the wall portion I4 of the ribbon H isa pair of electrically conductive pliable metallic strips 16 and H,which strips extend longitudinally of the ribbon II and are co-extensivetherewith. The strips l6 and I 1 are preferably flat and formed of awidth that is preferably slightly. less than the width of the spaceextending between the inner margins of the flanges I3, particularly asto the strip I! so that the latter may be readily positioned against theinner side of the wall N.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken'on the line 3-8 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are details in longitudinal An important feature ofthe invention resides in effecting electrical connection between thestrips 18 and IT through the wall portion ll of the ribbon II at closelyspaced intervals throughout the length of the latter, and to which endthe wall It is formed with openings, l8 at suitably spaced intervalsthroughout the length thereof, and which openings are preferablycircular in, outline and disposed in alignment midway between the sidemargins of the ribbon.

.I have evolved several satisfactory ways of effecting electricalinterconnection between the strips i6 and il through the openings l8,one of which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing and consists informing each of the metallic strips l6 and H with protrusions l9 and 20respectively which project from one side of the strip at such spacedintervals throughout the length thereof that such protrusions willregister with the openings -l8formed in the ribbonwall l4 and projectint such openings with the protrusions l9 and extending equi-distantinto the openings and with the end walls 2| and 22 thereof abutting eachother mid-way of .the thickness of the wall H. The abutting end walls 2|and 22 of the protrusions are then securely and electrically connectedtogether by spot-welds 23. By this construction the strips and I! arecomplementary. 'I'he protrusions are preferably formed by indenting thestrips as by a stamping operation.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the end walls 2| of the protrusionsi3 are formed with openings 24, and struck from the wallsof theprotrusions 26 are tongues 25 which are passed through the openings 24and bent to overlie the walls 2| to effect interlocking engagementbetween the strips l6 and H in the openings I6.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the end walls 2| and 22 of theprotrusions I3 and 26 are united by rivets 26 which are passed throughthe walls 2| and 22 and are beaded over the outer faces thereof.

While the interconnection of the strips i6 and I1 is shown as eflectedmid-way of the thickness of the ribbon wall I as shown in Figs. 1 to 5inelusive, such interconnection may be effected at a point spacedslightly inward from one side of the wall I4 as indicated at 21 in Fig.6, in which arrangement the protrusions H or 20 are formed of greaterdepth than the companion protrusio I! or 20.

. In some instances it may be desirable to form protrusions on only oneof the strips as indicated in Fig. 7, wherein the strip I6 is shown asformed with protrusions 26 of sufllcient depth that the end wall 23thereof will extend through the opening I6 in the ribbon wall I! to meetthe ribbon l1.

The strips l6 and H in the constructions shown in Figs. 6- and 7 areunited as by spot-welds 30 or in any other suitable fashion to afford anelectrically conductive interconnection between the strips through theresilient ribbon.

In the application of the invention a suitable length of the ribbon llequipped with the electrically conductive strips l6 and I1 is employedin formation of a conduit supporting clip as shown in Fig. 8 bypositioning a predetermined length of the ribbon astride a strip 3| ofsupporting metal as shown in Fig. 9; the strip 3| being engaged in thechannel and overlapped by the inturned flanges I3 of the ribbon and withthe electrically conductive strip ll seating on the strip at and held inintimate contact therewith under the tension then imparted to theresilient ribbon. The strip 3| is then bent into a loop with the strip3| outermost so as todispose the electrically conductive strip l6interiorly of the loop; the supporting strip 3| being formed so that theend portions 32 and 33 thereof will protrude from the end of the ribbonII, which end portionsare arranged to overlie each other and are formedwith an opening 36 for the reception of a bolt or screw 35 whereby theloop on being wrapped around a conduit 36 may be fastened to a suitablemetallic supporting member 31 by the bolt or By this construction theconduit is will be Since the cushioning element'is inherently ining bodyafforded by the resilient ribbon or strip l I; the electricallyconductive strip I6 seating on and substantially encompassing theconduit 36, the electrically conductive strip ll seating on thesupporting strip 3| throughout the length of the cushioning element, andthe electrical connections. between the strips l6 and I1 through theopenings l3 of the cushioning element, serving to afford adequateelectrical connection between the conduit 36andmetallic support and toassure against accumulation of static electricity in the conduit. I q

The invention is also applicable for use in affording a support of thebar type as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, by employing a pair of theribbons II with their associated electrically conductive strips l6 andand the supporting strips 3| and arranging such pair of ribbons face toface with the channel sides thereof outermost, and bending a length ofthe ribbon inopposed arcuate or loop sections 38 to form conduitencircling or engaging loops. Any suitable number of such loops 38 maybe formed in a single conduit supporting unit, three of such loops beingshown in the structure depicted in Fig. 10.' Where a plurality of suchloops are provided in a single unit, adjacent loops are spaced apart bya web 33 of suitable length composed of overb'ing straight portions ofthe ribbon H. The webs 33 thus formed are interconnected by bolts 66 asshown in Fig. 11 and the unit is fastened to a metallic supportingmember by forming end webs. 4| on the unit fitted with holes 42 throughwhich bolts or screws are passed and engaged with a supporting member.The interconnected electrically conductive strips l6 and I1 serve incooperation with the supporting strip 3| to effect electrical connectionbetween the conduit or conduits carried by the unit and the metallicsupports to which the latter is applied, in the fashion above describedrelative to the structure shown in Fig. 8. In this instance a series ofmetallic conduits may be collectively supported in a single unit andelectrical 1y interconnected and collectively grounded through thesupporting unit.

The invention contemplates forming the resilient ribbon with associatedelectrically conductive strips i6 and I! of indeterminate orpredetermined length and which may b marketed as an article ofmanufacture to be later cut into short lengths and applied to themetallic supporting strip 3| in effecting production of finished conduitsupports. However, it is obvious :that the resilient strip II with theelectrically conductive strips l6 and I1 applied thereto may beinitially formed and equipped with the supporting strip 3| preparatoryto fabricating the assemblyinto a conduit support.

While I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention Ido not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and

the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents ofthe parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purviewof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strip for forming conduit supports comprising a ribbon of resilientcushioning and electrically insulating material, a bare electricallyconductive strip extending longitudinally of said ribbon on each ofopposed sides thereof, and means electrically interconnecting saidstrips at spaced intervals along the lengths thereof.

2. A strip for forming conduit supports comprising a ribbon of resilientcushioning and electrically insulating material, a bare electricallyconductive strip extending longitudinally of said ribbon on each ofopposed sides thereof, and means electrically interconnecting saidstrips through said ribbon at spaced intervals throughout the length ofsaid strips.

3. A strip for forming conduit supports comprising a resilient ribbon ofelectrically insulating material, a pair of bare electrically conductivemetalJic strips arranged on each of the opposed sides of said ribbon andextending longitudinally thereof coextensive therewith, and electricalinterconnections between said strips at intervals along the lengthsthereof.

4. In a conduit support forming strip, a length of flexible ribbonformed of resilient cushioning and electrically insulating materialhaving openings at spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, abare metallic electrically conductive strip on each of the opposed sidesof said ribbon length thereof, a bare extending longitudinally thereof,and means electrically interconnecting said strips through theopeningsin said ribbon.

5. A strip for forming conduit supports comprising a ribbon of resilientand electrically ,insulating material formed with openings therethroughat spaced intervals throughout the electrically conductive strip on eachof the opposed sides of said ribbon and extending longitudinallythereof, means electrically interconnecting said strips through saidopenings; said ribbon being formed with opposed inwardly openingchannels on a side thereof, and a metallic supporting strip engaged insaid channels and extending longitudinally of said ribbon in contactwith at least one of said electrically conductive strips.

6. A strip for forming conduit supports comprising a ribbon of resilientand electrically insulating material formed with openings therethroughat spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, a bare electricallyconductive strip oneach of the opposed sides of said ribbon andextending longitudinally thereof, protuberances on at least one of saidstrips projecting into the openings in said ribbon, and means engagingsaid protuberances andelectrically connecting said strips.

HERMAN RAY ELLINWOOD.

